Andrew Watson Racing

Profile

Andrew Watson Career Overview

Twenty-one year old Andrew, from Donaghmore, Co.Tyrone, launched his racing career in 2010 in the Ginetta Junior Ireland Championship, making regular podiums through to 2011, when he joined the Douglas Motorsport team to race in the final two rounds of the Ginetta Junior Championship at Silverstone.

2012 saw Andrew contest the entire Ginetta Junior championship season, again with Douglas Motorsport. The season saw him deliver 5th place in the Championship, achieving 6 podium places, including second places and his maiden victory, with only two non-finishes out of the twenty round season.

Driving a 3.8 litre, V6 Ginetta G55 car for Douglas Racing, further career progression was seen in 2013 with Andrew entering into the Ginetta GT Supercup, the senior competition of the Ginetta series, and one of the most competitive support classes of the British Touring Car Championship,

Despite limited experience in the more powerful G55 car, Andrew immediately showed his potential, qualifying second, before delivering 7th and 8th place finishes in rounds 1 and 2 at the Brands Hatch Indy circuit, followed by an impressive 4th place in round three.

Further highlights of the season included Andrew qualifying 3rd at Donington Park before achieving his first GT Supercup podium in the GT Supercup, with a 2nd place finish in round 7, at Thruxton in Hampshire.

At Knockhill, Andrew achieved his first pole position for round 18, although a drive-through penalty eventually relegated him to 10th place in the race. Round 20 at Knockhill, saw Andrew lead for 23 of the 24 lap race, eventually third place. The final round of the year at Brands Hatch saw Andrew again reach the podium with a second place, completing a successful season which along with podiums, saw Andrew also deliver two fastest laps at Knockhill and Donington Park, finishing a creditable 7th in the Championship with 372 points.

For the 2014 season, Andrew again raced in the Ginetta GT Supercup with Douglas Racing, and with a years’ experience under his belt, delivered fourth place in the Championship.

In July 2014 Andrew was invited to join the prestigious British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) Rising Star Scheme, following in the footsteps of former BRDC Rising Stars including Lewis Hamilton. The BRDC Rising Star scheme acknowledges exceptional young talent amongst British and Commonwealth drivers under the age of 24, across all four-wheel racing disciplines. Scouted by the BRDC from trackside, Rising Stars are invited to sport the unique ‘blue roundel’, symbolising their association with the highly respected organisation.

To compliment this achievment, in January 2015, the world famous McLaren GT announced that Andrew was to join their prestigous Young Driver Programme for the 2015 season. Andrew drove for the Von Ryan Racing team in the 2015 Avon Tyres British GT championship, where he finished a creditable 15th, despite racing for most of the season with additional ballast. In addition, Andrew secured his maiden GT3 victory, in the International GT Open Championshipdriving for the TEO Martin Motorsports team, quickly followed a victory in the Sepang 12 Hours.

In January 2016 Andrew became part of the prestigious McLaren GT Academy and quickly helped secure a historic McLaren 650S GT3 clean sweep at the Bathhurst 12 hour race for customer team Tekno Autosports.

For the 2016 season Andrew will be driving as part of bold plans by customer team Garage 59 to contest the Blancpain Endurance Series and Blancpain Sprint Series. The team will take part in a 10-date calendar visiting some of the most iconic circuits in Europe.

Sponsors

Motorsport provides unique corporate and engaging marketing opportunities for both individuals and brands. Andrew Watson Racing offers a range of professional Sponsorship packages, all of which are designed to deliver you or your brand maximum exposure.

Our Team partner package for example, includes your brand logo on Andrews’s race suit, all of the Andrew Watson Racing Team kit, display boards, and paddock awning, providing exposure for your brand through 2015.

Away from Race weekends, we also run Race days where sponsors get to experience the unique high speed thrill of racing, as a passenger in the car with Andrew.

To learn more about getting on board with one of the hottest prospects on the 2015 circuit, or to talk through your requirements, please contact us here

We are indebted to all of our Sponsors and enjoy a close working relationship at Race weekends and across a range of events. To learn more about each of our current sponsors, please click on a related thumbnail below.

Team

McLaren GT

McLaren GT is the GT race car manufacturing arm of McLaren Group, established in 2011 to develop, build and support all McLaren track and GT race activities. Based in Woking, Surrey at the former home of McLaren Racing, the company is responsible for the design, development and production of the 650S GT3, 12C GT3, the 12C GT Can-Am Edition and the 12C GT Sprint.

The first car developed by McLaren GT was the 12C GT3, which was launched in 2011, and following a development year, 25 examples were delivered to customers for racing throughout Europe in 2012. The gruelling debut season saw 13 McLaren GT customer teams visit 14 countries and between them, the teams claimed a total of 19 race victories in the FIA GT1 World Championship, Blancpain Endurance Series, Barcelona 24hours, British GT, City Challenge Baku, FFSA French GT and GT Cup.